IMO, it's more important that they call them consistetntly than how they call them....so if the X people want all the calls then in the spirit of fairness, we should then get our share....by my count, the ball was entered into the post at least two dozen times. By X revisionist standards, he was hacked or held each time....he took twelve shots, making five. So, he gets two shots for the ones that didn't go down, 1 for those that did and 1 and 1's for the rest in excess of 7 fouls. Hmmmm, let's see....my calculations give him 24 free throw attempst just on infractions upon his person when he has the ball.....my gut tells me that they may have had a hold/push or two when he didn't have the ball, but I'm only guessing. So 24 shots, he makes 72% from the line so he knocks down 17. That's 13 more than he made in the actual game - that makes an extra 13 points for the Buckeyes.....therefore, at the time of the Oden foul in queston, by X revisionist standards, we're up by 11, Oden has fouled out, they get two shots and the ball with 10 seconds remaining. That's fine by me..... :wink: as to Oden, I can't remember the last big man that was that big, that athletic with that level of skills when he was that young. Who was it? Olajuwon perhaps, but I believe he redshirted his frosh season and played very sparingly the season after that.....think about what we're saying here....I can't imagine an NBA GM that wouldn't take him first. What he has only God can provide, what he lacks can be learned. These kinds of big men come along only so often....you may not get another chance for a long, long time. He likely would have been taken first had he come out last year, he will be first if he comes out this year and he will be first if he comes out next year.....first pick money is first pick money this year or next. If I'm advising him, what possible benefit could there be by adding another year of injury risk. I just don't see it... By all accounts, he is enjoying the college experience, he has a history as a good student and education is an important priority in his family. Nobody wants him to stay more than I but for the life of me, it just don't see how it makes sense.
Hakeem played as a freshman and went to the final 4 both as a soph and lost to NCState and then as a Jr. and lost to Georgetown. Then he went to the Pro's and didn't play his Sr. year. Oden is certainly one of the best big men in the college game in years though, partly of course because talented big men haven't been comming to college since the NBA started taking high school Sr's. It'd be kind of cool to see him stay, like Tim Duncan did, but I imagine that he will go to the NBA next year just like Kevin Durant. Terry
I remember Phi Slamma Jamma well....I loved their game. Re: Hakeem - I did see where he redshirted his first year and played sparingly - averaging 8 points a game - the next year so it would not be unfair to say that Oden is well ahead of where Olajuwan was at the same point in their careers. Duncan averaged less than 10 points a game is his first year at Wake. I'd say young Mr Oden is doing just fine for his first year out of high school in a tough physical conference playing more than half the season with only his off-hand!